The Birmingham-Hoover metro area's jobless rate is dropping faster than all but two big U.S. cities, according to figures released today.

The unemployment rate in metro Birmingham was 8.7 percent in October, down from 10 percent a year earlier. Among big metro areas, only Detroit's 2.4 percentage point decline to 13.3 percent in October, and Charlotte's 1.8 percentage point drop to 10.2 percent, were better, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Of metros with at least 1 million people, New Orleans fared worst with its unemployment rate climbing 1.2 percentage points over the year, to 8.1 percent in October.

Among all U.S. metro areas, Florence/Muscle Shoals was Alabama's best performer with its jobless rate tying for fifth-best with a 2.4 percentage point decline, to 8.3 percent in October.

Birmingham's drop ranked No. 42 among all metros during the one-year period.